JUST B member Bain has expressed his gratitude to Hong Seok-cheon, South Korea's first openly gay celebrity, for his support and inspiration.
On the 27th, Hong Seok-cheon shared a heartfelt letter from Bain on his Instagram story, accompanied by the message, "Congratulations and I support you." In the letter, Bain wrote, "I was deeply moved by your warm encouragement and heartfelt advice shared through the article."
Bain continued, "Because you walked a lonely and difficult path 25 years ago, I can now muster the courage to stand where I am today. Although I have fears about the path I am on, thanks to you lighting the way like a beacon, I feel I can take each step forward." He added, "I sincerely thank you and aspire to be someone who can also provide strength to others, just like you."
Previously, on the 25th, Hong Seok-cheon shared his thoughts on Bain's coming out in an interview with Xports News, stating, "It was a refreshing shock and welcome news for me. I want to support the path Bain will walk."
Bain came out during the 'JUST ODD' world tour concert in Los Angeles on the 22nd, proudly declaring, "I am proud to be a part of the LGBT community. I am gay."
This marks the first coming out of a male idol group member since Hong Seok-cheon in 2000, nearly 25 years ago. While there have been instances of female idols like Jiae from Wassup in 2021 and Lala from Cats Eye last year coming out as bisexual, Bain is the first male idol group member to do so.
Meanwhile, JUST B continues their North American tour following the release of their new album 'JUST ODD.'